[Music] hello CBC hello hello hello please have a seat I'm honored to be with so many friends the CBC you put your trust in me you've always had my back and I never forget it CBC chairman Stephen Horford Terry Su CBC founding chair Foundation chair and leader hakee Jeffrey this evening's performers and hosts Fantasia Sherry Shepard Roy Wood Jr Roy has become a friend he did the White House correspondence tener together he hosted the White House juneth Event yesterday I was proud to host and very proud I mean it sincerely the first ever White House brunch celebration of black Excellence for more than 1,000 of you attended in this CBC week and tonight I'm honored to join your dinner tonight congratulations tonight honores and thank you to all the CBC member staff of lumni including those who serve across my Administration including the former chair and former HUD secretary Marsha fudge and especially and especially our incredible vice president kamla Harris best decision I made we're also keeping our prayers CBC Titans mostly lost Eddie Bice Johnson Donald Payne Jr Sheila Jackson Lee their memories and their legacies the legacy of the CBC remind me of a parable and SC scripture with just the smallest amount of Faith the size of mustard seed anything anything is possible our dreams our wildest dreams of our ancestors can take root and grow in the bful and beautiful Harvest to come that's what I want to talk to you about very briefly tonight what I see in all of you as I've said before we fac an in inflection point comes around every five or six Generations one of those rare moments in history when the decisions we make now will determine literally determine the fate of the nation and the world for decades to come we're continue to be in the battle for the very soul of America in 2020 Iran for president to redeem the soul of America to restore decency some dignity to the office of the presidency IR ran to rebuild the backbone of America the middle class and I ran to unite the country and mind ourselves when we're together we got a damn thing we can't do together in 2020 we started that work by protecting our democracy comml and I received 81 million votes in 2020 the most ever led by black voters all across America and Donald Trump lost became a defeated president the past four years we show democracy can deliver for our people Donald Trump's fail presidency eroded trust and whether democracy could meet the needs of the nation we know that trust was roting long before he took office what's democracy if Justice opportunity Freedom are denied to too many people for too long but common and I made a commitment to you to prove that democracy is the way to reject the zero some view of America that says if you win I lose if you succeed I fail you get ahead I fall behind maybe worst of all if I hold you down I lift myself up instead of embracing the bigger and broader view of America if any one of us do well we all do well but up with the CBC we went big and we went bold and yes the result yes we are better off today than we were four years [Applause] ago I'm being very sincere when I say a big reason why the Congress boasts the highest number of black members in American history together we've delivered one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever future Harvest of Endless Possibilities Co no longer controls our lives together we spearheaded most Equitable economic recovery in American history historic low black unemployment record growth in black small businesses with more money in the pockets and we've cut back on child poverty for blacks in half the racial wealth Gap the smallest of 20 years and we're we're finally I've been fighting for this in a long long time we're finally reconnecting black neighbors that were cut off by old highways and dis disinvested decades ago removing every poisonous lead pipe in America so every child in America can drink clean water without fear of brain damage we're we're delivering affordable high-speed Broadband so no child has to do their homework outside of McDonald's parking lot we're protecting and EXP expanding Obamacare and after all the years I finally beat big farmer and significantly lowered drug prices for seniors and before before we too long we're going to make sure that's available to every single person in America not just seniors we're putting home ownership Within Reach that's how we build generational wealth we're making the most significant investment ever in climate including the most significant action on environment ever we relieve student debt for 5 million borrowers and a significant number of black bars I said I do this a long time ago finally got done we're investing in the record 17 billion doll in HBCU we took executive action on police reform and continued calling for the law to be written as the law of the land we started the process of reclassifying marijuana and pardon thousands of convictions for mere possession because no one should be jailed for simp simply using marijuana or have a barrier to job housing loans or other opportunities because of that and something I'm really proud of together we put the first black woman on a supreme court of the United States as I promised I would I'm excited to announce tonight we selected the first class of full bright John Lewis civil rights fellows who will learn how to establish and protect freedom and Justice and Equity not just at home but around the world there's so much more we're doing tell people walk into a life of generational wealth to be the providers for their families leaders of the communities dreamers and doers doers of our nation in fact in just four years the leadership of the CBC we're making the most significant investment in Black America ever in all of American History let's be clear their old ghosts and new garments trying to seize your power an extremist coming for your freedoms make it harder for you vote and have your vote counted closing doors of opportunity attacking affirmative action and the values of diversity equity and inclusion Banning books erasing history my pres my predecessor calls the insurrectionists who stormed the capital on January 6 Patriots but when peaceful protesters marched for justice for George Floyd Trump wanted to send in the military but they wouldn't go he says immigrants black and brown immigrants poison the blood of our country right now is running m is attacking Haitian Americans in Ohio it's wrong it's got to stop any President should reject hate in America and incite not incit it folks to win this battle for the soul of the nation we have to preserve our democracy must speak out against lies and hate told for power and profit we must show up we must look to the future and I'm looking to you to help lead the way to help push us forward to be the country we say we are country of freedom justice and equality proving the black history is American history and black EXC is American Excellence let me close with this the Psalms teach us and I quote I've been young and now I'm old which is true and yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken I have not seen the righteous forsaken in 1971 as a 28- year old kid I decided to run the United States Senate because of segregation in my city my state 13 black members of Congress came together then to establish the Congressional Black Caucus that same year a founding member of the CBC began exploring the historic grunt for president I knew Shirley Chisum I served with her she was righteous she planted bushes full of mustard seed of faith and the course the last 50 years I've seen those seeds weather storm and strife and Blossom into something amazing I've served as vice president of the first black president former CBC member I am president alongside the first black president former CBC member and God willing she'll be become the first woman of the United president of the United States of America and AEM will become the first black speaker of the house but folks we have work to do so my challenge to you is to keep the faith do the work because we know faith without works is dead in this moment I think in what Shirley said she said quote freedom is an endless Horizon and there are many roads that lead to it the last four years I've been honored to stand by a true partner who help us lead to the Horizon of Freedom a journey where character and public life still matters in America Comm Harris meets the highest standards of character I've served with her I know her I trust her and I'll be proud to stand at the steps of the United States capital and watch her take the oath of office as president of the United States of America ladies and Gentlemen please welcome Comm Harris for the people